Blood is thicker than blood?
by Norwegianne
Summary: Donnatella is bringing her boyfriend home to Sunnydale for Christmas. Enter Barbie, My Little Pony and, what was Dawn and Spike really doing?
1. Chapter 1

Title: Blood is thicker than . blood?  
  
Author: Norwegianne  
  
Rating Pg-13 for innuendo, talk about sex etc. Nothing graphic.  
  
Disclaimer: Aaron Sorkin et al. own the West Wing, Joss Whedon et al. own Buffy the Vampire Slayer.  
  
A/N: 7/6-03. I've been writing on this for a while (and as of 7/6 I'm not halfway done) but I hadn't decided on an actual timeline for it. I would love to have been able to use the existing timelines from Buffy and West Wing, but * shrugs* a girl can't have it all. Therefore this is from an alternate universe, going off on its own after the season five episode: "I was made to love you." As for the West Wing - well, this takes place in Sunnydale, far away from the murky waters of politics. Besides, I haven't seen very much of season two, yet. Though, thanks to fan fiction, I know what happens. Let's see what I'll use.  
  
13/6-03. And done.  
  
THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW THAT I KNOW BEFORE READING ON: Just a little warning, so that I don't get flamed for something I already know.  
  
I know that Donnatella Moss is from Madison, Wisconsin, on the show. I know that her last name is Moss, on the show. Let me just suspend reality for the duration of this fic. And if you think Donna belongs with Josh and nobody else? Please turn around this instant and go read something else.  
  
On to the fic.  
  
Blood is thicker than. blood?  
  
CHAPTER 1. Buffy was pacing around in the house on Revello Drive. She was freaking out. Dawn followed her around, trying not to be noticed and yelled at. Buffy was always so much fun when she freaked out over nothing. It wasn't like Buffy had to decide whether or not to stake Spike or another life or death decision. Well, maybe for Buffy it was. Their older sister was coming home, for the first time since their mom died in February, to celebrate Christmas. To top it off she was bringing her boyfriend. It wasn't that Buffy was pacing over. She could accept that her older sister had a love life, although she did not want the play-by-play. She couldn't accept quite as easily if Dawn decided to do the same thing. Even if Dawn was almost the age as Buffy had been when she had turned Angel into Angelus. Thanks to Spike, Dawn even knew how her older sister had done it. As if she would ever do that with a boy.  
  
Buffy was a great believer in preaching celibacy when it came to her younger sister. If she could get away with it Dawn was sure that Buffy would be preaching celibacy the entire week that lay ahead of them, just to ensure that Dawn would never mention a boyfriend, let alone come home with one and leave it to Buffy to sort out whether or not they would be sleeping in the same bed. That was what had caused Buffy's behavior this time. Donna had simply just called, and the machine had picked it up while they were out looking for Glory. Donna, being practical, had left a short message with the details and said she missed them before she'd hung up.  
  
"Should I put Donna in her room and the boyfriend in mom's room?" Buffy turned to look at her. Dawn pretended to think it over, at least this crisis made Buffy treat her like an equal, or at least as close as it would ever get.  
  
"I think you should make up the beds in both rooms, but let them choose. That way we won't have to listen to "subtle" tiptoeing outside our rooms. Oh, but wait. You'd hear it much better than me, Slayer hearing and all." Buffy's face contorted.  
  
"Do you think the Slayer hearing is that good? Because then I'll also hear them. never mind." Buffy blushed briefly as Dawn grinned.  
  
"What will you hear?"  
  
"I said never mind." Buffy snapped. "You get to help me make the beds."  
  
"Gee thanks. Dibs on Donna's."  
  
"I wanted that. Mom's bed is like so much bigger." The two of them bantered back and forth while trying to get the linen out of the closet. The sheets had been placed on the top shelf and Buffy jumped up and dragged some down.  
  
"You know, I can't really see Donna and her boyfriend doing it on my Barbie bed sheet."  
  
"I don't want to see them doing it anywhere - let's just consider this a preventive measure."  
  
"Yeah, because who'd ever think about sex while lying on Barbie, I mean besides Ken." Buffy scowled. Dawn quickly amended her statement. "I think my sheets are perfect on Mom's bed. Donna can have the "My little Pony" sheets." Buffy patted her head.  
  
"That's the spirit, pumpkin belly. I'll make something out of you yet." The nickname stopped Dawn, who had picked up the pony sheets. Her eyes filled with tears.  
  
"Buffy. Do you think Donna remembers me? I mean - I met her when Mom died, but she didn't have stories about me, like you do." Buffy put her arms around her sister and hugged her.  
  
"I don't know what Donna remembers, she's the only one who can really tell you that. She didn't react in any freaky way about you being here, when she was here last. And she mentions you all the time in e-mails; she even remembered your birthday. " Buffy pulled back a little, looking into her sister's eyes. "But Dawnie, she is four years older than me, and ten years older than you. The things that you and I remember doing together, you hogging Mr. Gordo, barfing all over the place and other pleasant memories like that, by the time you'd be old enough she'd be off with her own friends. I guess that's the reason." Dawn smiled briefly at Buffy's explanation.  
  
"I guess. So, are we going to finish this before she comes home?"  
  
**** 


	2. Chapter 2

Title: Blood is thicker than ... blood?  
  
Author: Norwegianne  
  
Rating Pg-13 for innuendo, talk about sex etc. Nothing graphic.  
  
Disclaimer: Aaron Sorkin et al. own the West Wing, Joss Whedon et al. own Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Barbie is the trademark of Mattel, My Little Pony of the company that owns that trademark, which is not me, not at all. Legally Blonde, belongs to its owners. Since my connection with USA is limited to my great-aunt and my cousins... I guess it isn't me.  
  
I got bored of withholding interesting chapters...  
  
Oh, and the thing at the beginning of chapter 1, it still counts. So if you're dead set in thinking that Josh and Donna belong together for always... SHUSH.  
  
On to the fic.  
  
Chapter 2.  
  
"Donna, are you sure we're driving the right way?" Sam Seaborn glanced at the map he'd taken out of the compartment. Donna rolled her eyes.  
  
"Well, Sam, dear. I'm pretty sure I'm driving the right way. It's my hometown we're going to after all. It's not long."  
  
"Aren't you from Los Angeles?" He glanced over at her.  
  
"Home is where the heart is."  
  
"That would make your home wherever I am, wouldn't it?" She threw a smile at him; he was just too adorable for words when he tried to be suave and charming.  
  
"Seriously, Sam. I was eighteen when my parents split up, and had just started University in Wisconsin when Mom moved to Sunnydale with Buffy and Dawn. I think of Sunnydale as home, nevertheless, not L.A" Sam shrugged.  
  
"I just can't get over the names you people have. Donnatella, Buffy and Dawn. Did your mom name you while the drugs was still in action?"  
  
"And Norman is such a normal name." Donna scoffed. "Buffy's named after Buffy Sainte-Marie. My mom was a big fan."  
  
"Yeah, but why not name her Marie instead. Slightly more subtle."  
  
"Well, there's also this case of naming your daughters after the ancestors. And Buffy is a nice nickname for Elizabeth, after Great-Grandmother Elizabeth." Donna turned her head slightly and grinned at her boyfriend before looking back on the road. "Look, we're here. The "Welcome to Sunnydale" sign is still standing." Her boyfriend, the Deputy Director of Communications in the Bartlet White House, rolled his eyes. "I saw that."  
  
"Yeah, and I saw the airport sign. Why couldn't we fly to Sunnydale instead of flying to L. A. and driving here? We don't have a very long Christmas break. Wouldn't you want to spend the most possible time with your family?"  
  
"But where would the fun be in that? There's not an awful lot of planes going to Sunnydale, it's faster to drive. Besides," She shrugged. Sam stared at her. Nobody, nobody shrugged quite like Donna. It was a form of art, he decided, that had been polished to perfection by working for Josh. "I'll get more time with you this way." He grinned foolishly at her. Their relationship was so new that he hadn't met her family; Josh had been the one to accompany her to her mother's funeral. Donna and Sam hadn't begun to explore the possibilities of them being together until afterwards.  
  
"This will be nice, meeting your family for the first time, celebrating Christmas with them. At least your father was out of the country, so we couldn't meet him in L.A."  
  
"Are you nervous, Sam?" He gulped and nodded slightly. "That's so sweet." She took her left arm off the steering wheel and patted his thigh. "But they don't bite. A week with my family won't kill you."  
  
"I'm not good with my girlfriends' families, Donna. Lisa's family couldn't stand me and we all know about Jenny and Leo. What if I screw something up?"  
  
"I only hope they haven't read about Laurie."  
  
"Donna. Don't say it. You've jinxed me. I mean, the first thing your sisters ask me will be if I paid you to take me here."  
  
"You're paranoid. It's my sisters, who are not members of the press, or republicans. They don't follow politics, they don't know who you are. Dawn and Buffy are more likely to recognize the latest trends on the street than anyone I work with." She slowed down and turned into a driveway. "Sam, I normally had to harass Mom with phone calls to get her to vote. And I don't think Buffy's registered as voter yet, either." She turned of the ignition. "Well, there's no place like home." They were parked outside the Summers residence in Revello Drive.  
  
**** 


	3. Chapter 3

Title: Blood is thicker than ... blood?  
  
Author: Norwegianne  
  
Rating Pg-13 for innuendo, talk about sex etc. Nothing graphic.  
  
Disclaimer: Aaron Sorkin et al. own the West Wing, Joss Whedon et al. own Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Barbie is the trademark of Mattel, My Little Pony of the company that owns that trademark, which is not me, not at all. Legally Blonde, belongs to its owners. Since my connection with USA is limited to my great-aunt and my cousins... I guess it isn't me.  
  
I got bored of withholding interesting chapters... Even if ff.net is down... and I haven't got any reviews... Who cares?  
  
Oh, and the thing at the beginning of chapter 1, it still counts. So if you're dead set in thinking that Josh and Donna belong together for always... SHUSH.  
  
This is set in season 5 of Buffy, an alternate universe season 5. Glory still exist, but in the spirit of Christmas... well she keeps quiet. (I've messed about with the timelines already, why not that?) West Wing? A peaceful time, when it's quiet enough for a longer winter break... As for pairings- this isn't really one of the fics that's written with the intention of bringing characters together, nor it is heavy on the blood and goo. And yes, Spike will make an appearance. A fairly quiet one at that.  
  
On to the fic.  
  
Chapter 3  
  
"Hello? Buffy? Dawnie? Anybody here?" Donna used her key to lock them into the house.  
  
"Well, they're not here. We'll just go until they come back."  
  
"Chicken. Of course they're here. Where else would they be on a Saturday night?" Her boyfriend grinned at her.  
  
"Teenagers at home on a Saturday night? What did you do Saturdays in high school?" Sam pulled her against him.  
  
"I had sleepovers." He wiggled his eyebrows before kissing her softly. They were interrupted.  
  
"Eww. PDA, PDA. Buffy, they're kissing, major suckage. Almost like you and Angel, or you and Riley..." Dawn had heard Donna's shouting and appeared on the top of the stairs. Donna broke loose of the kiss.  
  
"Dawnie. It's so good to see you. I've missed you." Donna held out her arms and her youngest sister ran down the stairs into them.  
  
"Missed you too. Why didn't you come before?" Dawn hugged Donna like she would never let her go.  
  
"Maybe she was busy helping run the country." Buffy's dry voice rang out of the room.  
  
"Missed you too, Buff." Buffy smiled at them as she walked down the stairs.  
  
"Yeah, yeah. Tell it to someone who cares." She smiled and kissed her older sister on the cheek. Dawn still clung to her.  
  
"This is Sam Seaborn, my boyfriend. Sam, this is Buffy and Dawn, my sisters." Sam held out his hand to Buffy.  
  
"Pleased to meet you."  
  
Buffy shook his hand. "Are you really? Because I need to have a little conversation with you about Donna, since my father is not here." Sam gulped visibly. "Don't worry, we won't hold Laurie against you, not yet. But if you ever," Buffy looked more menacing than Leo McGarry on a bad day at that moment. "If you ever hurt my sister, I'll beat you to death with a shovel. Like my friend says, a vague disclaimer is nobody's friend." Sam resisted the urge to turn around and run for the hills and sent a death glare in Donna's direction instead.  
  
"You jinxed me. You told me they wouldn't know who Laurie was." He pointed an accusatory finger at her. Buffy put her hands over Dawn's ears.  
  
"Not around her. I try to keep conversations PG when Dawn's present, if possible." Dawn let go of Donna and grabbed Buffy's hands pulling them off her ears.  
  
"I have heard the term prostitute before, you know. I go to public school, I'm not in a convent." Donna looked at Sam. He was mouthing 'Call-girl' at her, but was quick to shut it when Dawn and Buffy looked back at them.  
  
"Not yet, anyway," Buffy muttered. "Maybe it's time to show you to your rooms."  
  
"Buffy was flipping out." Dawn whispered to Sam as they made their way up the stairs.  
  
"Oh?" He was carrying their luggage. Donna had practically run up the stairs with Buffy to see if her room was the way she'd left it, he presumed.  
  
"Yeah, because she didn't know if you wanted to sleep in the same room. Donna didn't tell her anything about your relationship."  
  
"And you didn't flip?" Sam tried to keep up with the fourteen year old.  
  
"Why would I? Buffy freaking out is too much fun. She thinks I don't know that she was boinking her boyfriend in her room when I had to go to Xander's." Sam winced. What the hell had he got himself into? "Oh, we're here. You got Mom's room."  
  
"Barbie?" Sam noticed the bed. If this ever got back to the White House, he was as good as dead. Josh would probably keel over as well, death by laughter. The President would trap him in a corner and tell him everything about Barbie, and CJ. Well, he could just hear her let it slip in one of her briefings.  
  
"Yeah, it was the only thing that Buffy could reach in the closet. She's really short. I think I'll be as tall as Donna when I'm finished growing."  
  
"Could you tell me where Donna's room is? I think she'll need her bag." He lifted up the bag in question.  
  
"Sure, it's down the hall. I'll show you." 


	4. Chapter 4

Title: Blood is thicker than ... blood?  
  
Author: Norwegianne  
  
Rating Pg-13 for innuendo, talk about sex etc. Nothing graphic.  
  
Disclaimer: Aaron Sorkin et al. own the West Wing, Joss Whedon et al. own Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Barbie is the trademark of Mattel, My Little Pony of the company that owns that trademark, which is not me, not at all. Legally Blonde, belongs to its owners. Since my connection with USA is limited to my great-aunt and my cousins... I guess it isn't me.  
  
I got bored of withholding interesting chapters... Even if ff.net is down... and I haven't got any reviews... Who cares?  
  
Oh, and the thing at the beginning of chapter 1, it still counts. So if you're dead set in thinking that Josh and Donna belong together for always... SHUSH.  
  
This is set in season 5 of Buffy, an alternate universe season 5. Glory still exist, but in the spirit of Christmas... well she keeps quiet. (I've messed about with the timelines already, why not that?) West Wing? A peaceful time, when it's quiet enough for a longer winter break... As for pairings- this isn't really one of the fics that's written with the intention of bringing characters together, nor it is heavy on the blood and goo. And yes, Spike will make an appearance. A fairly quiet one at that.  
  
On to the fic.  
  
Chapter 4  
  
"So," Buffy looked at Donna rummaging through her dresser. "How are things going with Sam?" Her natural blonde sister turned around.  
  
"Did you touch my things?"  
  
"Why would I want to touch your things? It's not like your things even fit - Stork." Buffy threw herself onto the bed, after shooting Donna an impish look. "So, how're things with Sam? I'm betting that they're serious, since you brought him here. You didn't even bring what's-his-name here, and you were totally hot for him."  
  
"Dawn! Get in here." Donna had been good at shouting at younger sisters before she went off to college. Working in the White House had honed her skills, and she was now a master.  
  
"You rang?" Dawn and Sam stood in the doorway. Sam looked curiously around, probably filing the info to blackmail her with later. Dawn on the other hand was getting really good at the insolent teenager look.  
  
"Have you been in my things?  
  
"Why would I be in your things? I have better things to do, you know." Buffy snorted. "Well I have. Just yesterday Spike and I were... uh-oh. Never mind." Dawn realized that she had fenced herself into a corner by the look of Buffy's face.  
  
"You were with Spike? Wasn't it Willow who was supposed to look after you, yesterday?"  
  
"Uh, I think I hear the phone." Buffy reached out and held Dawn's sweater.  
  
"The phone isn't ringing until you can tell me what you were doing with Spike. Shoot."  
  
Sam tried to mouth "Who's Spike" to Donna, but he didn't think he was successful, at least not judging by the blank look on her face.  
  
"We were just hanging around."  
  
"Where? And to repeat myself, where was Willow?"  
  
" At the Magic Box, I guess. Anya had something that she needed Willow to help her with." Dawn shrugged.  
  
"So she left you with Spike?" Buffy reminded Sam of a blonde lawyer from this chick-flick Donna had forced Josh, CJ, Toby and himself to watch with her last summer. Just remembering Toby's reaction was enough to make a permanent smile on his face. Apparently Dawn had also seen it, the film, not Toby's outbursts during it.  
  
"Don't go all Elle Woods on me, Buffy. I'm fine. Spike was hanging around at the Magic Box when we got there." She turned to Donna. "We were just sitting quietly leafing through some books, honestly." The tactics worked.  
  
"Buffy, I don't see the big picture, but what's the harm in Dawn having some friends that enjoy reading? Too many teenagers in America today have no idea how to read or write properly."  
  
"It's not like she wasn't Matilda enough, now even Spike encourages her." Buffy complained, before narrowing her eyes. "Wait a second? The books at the Magic Box? What kind of books were you looking in?" Sam caught Dawn gulping just before she managed to escape. "I'll talk to you guys later. Nice to have you home again, Donna. Give me the 411 on him later. DAWN!" The tiny blonde took off in the direction that her younger sister had left.  
  
"Hey, how come you got "My Little Pony" sheets." Sam felt a case of severe Josh-whining almost coming on.  
  
"Yeah, so? What did you get?" Donna didn't seem to have any troubles with sleeping on the pastel ponies. Maybe she would be willing to trade? After all, animals were manlier than dolls, even if they were colored in girl colors.  
  
"Barbie." He whimpered. His girlfriend was not as sympathetic as he could have hoped for. She laughed. His whining mood disappeared. "If this gets back to Washington, I'll know who is to blame."  
  
"Yeah, sure. I hope you realize that I won't be sneaking off to your room for some after-dark nookie. I wouldn't be able to think about sex with Barbie in the mix, even around you." He grinned a bit.  
  
"So you think about sex when you're around me?" He got the "I'm da man" look on his face.  
  
"Not if I'm lying on one of my younger sisters' Barbie linens, then I'm probably not." The look quickly disappeared.  
  
"They're being awfully quiet." Best to change the topic, before his girlfriend decided that she couldn't even kiss him this Christmas.  
  
"Maybe they've killed each other." She shrugged in a casual way that made Sam's blood run cold.  
  
"Do you really think so? Maybe we should call the police?" Donna grinned slightly at the panicked look in his eyes.  
  
"It is so evident just now that you're an only child, Sammy boy."  
  
"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" Donna went over and tossed her bag onto the bed before grabbing his shirt and leaning into him.  
  
"It means that you've never experienced the joys of brothers and sisters, and their constant squabbling. Right now, that's about as sexy as your tendency to lecture everybody about their dental hygiene"  
  
"Really?" Donna had shown him one of the earlier days in their relationship how interesting she had found him lecturing Charlie on his dental hygiene. He sort of hoped she would do it again.  
  
"Yeah, really. Come here, let me show you." 


	5. Chapter 5

Title: Blood is thicker than ... blood?  
  
Author: Norwegianne  
  
Rating Pg-13 for innuendo, talk about sex etc. Nothing graphic.  
  
Disclaimer: Aaron Sorkin et al. own the West Wing, Joss Whedon et al. own Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Barbie is the trademark of Mattel, My Little Pony of the company that owns that trademark, which is not me, not at all. Legally Blonde, belongs to its owners. Since my connection with USA is limited to my great-aunt and my cousins... I guess it isn't me.  
  
Update-notices can be found on my YahooGroup.  
  
Oh, and the thing at the beginning of chapter 1, it still counts. So if you're dead set in thinking that Josh and Donna belong together for always... SHUSH.  
  
On to the fic.  
  
Chapter 5  
  
Buffy and Dawn had not killed each other, Sam was relieved to notice as he and a slightly disheveled Donna stepped into the kitchen a while later. In fact they were making something as trivial as dinner together, quite peacefully at that. Until they noticed their sister and him, that was.  
  
"Well, well, well." Buffy didn't say anything else, just smirked and continued to chop the vegetables with a knife that made Sam a little bit worried.  
  
"Donna, where's your lipstick?" Caught by the teenager peeling potatoes, and saved by the door. Or rather the people entering the house through the backdoor.  
  
"Hey. Oh, hi Donna. I didn't know you'd got here already." A guy with dark- brown hair and brown eyes hugged Sam's girlfriend with far more familiarity than Sam liked.  
  
"Got in about an hour or so ago. People, this is my boyfriend. Sam, meet Xander, Willow, Xander's girlfriend Anya and Willow's girlfriend Tara." Sam figured that it would be easy enough to remember Xander, and Willow had red hair. But Anya and Tara were both blondes, and he was having some trouble identifying them.  
  
"So," Xander slung an arm around Donna. "Why didn't you bring the J-man as well?"  
  
"Just for your entertainment? I'm sorry, Xand, but the word holiday implies that you sort of get time off from your boss and work in general."  
  
Willow intervened. "Xander, you can talk about Josh later. I'm hungry. What are the two of you cooking? It smells yummy." Sam found himself agreeing. Earlier he had been too busy being embarrassed, but now his stomach was growling.  
  
"We're having pot-roast," Buffy grinned proudly at them. "Dawn found this really good recipe in one of Mom's old magazines. It's really easy to make as well." Sam could hardly remember the last time he'd eaten a home-cooked meal that took more than 10 minutes to prepare. Apparently neither did Donna. She sniffed appreciatory into the air, before moaning slightly.  
  
"Smells heavenly, Martha Stewart. Anything we can do to help?"  
  
"Yeah," Dawn took her hands off the peeled potatoes. "You could set the table, and get out of our way. Some of us were working on dinner, when others were upstairs, having the fun from the looks of it." 


	6. Chapter 6

Title: Blood is thicker than ... blood?  
  
Author: Norwegianne  
  
Rating Pg-13 for innuendo, talk about sex etc. Nothing too graphic.  
  
Disclaimer: Aaron Sorkin et al. own the West Wing, Joss Whedon et al. own Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Barbie is the trademark of Mattel, My Little Pony of the company that owns that trademark, which is not me, not at all. Legally Blonde, belongs to its owners. Since my connection with USA is limited to my great-aunt and my cousins... I guess it isn't me.  
  
Slightly short chapter, but hey... more coming soon.  
  
Oh, and the thing at the beginning of chapter 1, it still counts. So if you're dead set in thinking that Josh and Donna belong together, for always... SHUSH.  
  
Commercial break: The homepage for my stories and everything else I've written, link found in my profile.  
  
Thanks to the reviewers. The best you guys are. I don't think I can be Yoda. Anyway, you're the best. I'm even thinking of writing a sequel.  
  
On to the fic.  
  
Chapter 6.  
  
"Oh, God. This is good. Please don't stop. Please." Donna suddenly looked up, beet red, having forgotten that she was seated at the dinner table, with her boyfriend, sisters and her sister's friends. They were all grinning. "What? I can't appreciate Buffy and Dawn's cooking?"  
  
"We all love their cooking, Donnatella. It's just that you're the most vocal about it." Sam had, she wasn't sure if it was a conscious or sub- conscious choice, adopted her real name as a term of endearment. He was too sweet for words sometimes, other times he embarrassed the hell out of her. She felt her cheeks get hot and just knew that the alabaster skin that she was proud of had turned crimson.  
  
"It sounded like you were getting an orgasm." Anya, Xander's girlfriend, was outspoken. "Xander, we must go home. I need orgasms, too."  
  
"Anya, we can't go home yet. We have that gift for Buffy, Dawn and Donna, remember?"  
  
"What gift?" Dawn looked exited. "I didn't fall asleep during dinner and slept until Christmas, did I?" Willow, Tara and Xander exchanged looks.  
  
"Hang on one sec." Xander and Willow got up and went into the kitchen.  
  
"Ok, this had better not be a severed head. Then I'll be very upset." Buffy informed Anya and Tara. They could hear scuffle from the kitchen. Donna helped herself to some potatoes and some pot-roast while waiting. It would be a shame for all of it to go to waste, right?  
  
Finally Xander and Willow were back. With a Christmas tree.  
  
"Oh, you didn't. Dawn look, they bought us a Christmas tree. A real Christmas tree." Donna found herself smiling at her younger sister. They had always had a plastic tree at home, before the divorce.  
  
"Does it, you know, smell?" Dawn looked at the tree in awe. Sure she'd been in the wood, looking at trees, but having a live one in her dining room was surreal.  
  
"100% smelly Christmas tree. We brought a foot to put it in. You even have to remember to water it and stuff." Willow's eyes were almost glowing with excitement.  
  
"Yeah, and we got some decorations too. It's kind of a pre-Christmas gift." Tara explained.  
  
*** 


	7. Chapter 7

Title: Blood is thicker than ... blood?  
  
Author: Norwegianne  
  
Rating Pg-13 for innuendo, talk about sex etc. Nothing too graphic.  
  
Disclaimer: Aaron Sorkin et al. own the West Wing, Joss Whedon et al. own Buffy the Vampire Slayer  
  
Pairing: SAM/DONNA (Although since they're together in this fic the point isn't bringing them together.)  
  
A/N: I would like to point out that the dislike for clarinets that I have Buffy portraying is my own. I have very rarely heard clarinets played in tune, and am not a huge fan of woodwind instruments at all. A good Euphonium on the other hand is marvellous. I got inspired by the fact that Donna apparently played the flute in high school, and info that it was possible that Sam played the clarinet. The joke was found on-line.  
  
Oh, and the thing at the beginning of chapter 1, it still counts. So if you're dead set in thinking that Josh and Donna belong together, for always... SHUSH.  
  
Thanks to the reviewers. The best you guys are. I don't think I can be Yoda. Anyway, you're the best. I'm even thinking of writing a sequel.  
  
On to the fic.  
  
Chapter 7.  
  
"So," Buffy's eyes widened, her voice sounded very mother-ish. "Spill. The last time you were here I could have sworn that every second word out of your mouth was Josh this and Josh that. Now you're dating Sam. Whatever happened to the fact that he's one of your best friends?" Dawn had dragged Sam with her to the mall, to see Santa Claus. Buffy and Donna were therefore the only ones left at home. "I remember someone saying something when we moved to Sunnydale about me and Xander? Comfy in your little glass house, sis?"  
  
Donna did not want to have this conversation. "He still is my best friend, Buffy. Do as I say, not as I do." She grinned impishly. "It's like we're best friends still, but with perks. And it's even more than that, he's just so extremely funny and sweet and sexy and he appreciates me in a way that none of my other boyfriends ever has. He brought me daisies for our anniversary." Donna drifted off into her own little world and let Buffy imagine what else Sam had brought for the anniversary. An image, she winced, she could have lived without.  
  
"Doesn't most nice guys remember their anniversary? I don't think any of my boyfriends have, but then again they're not my boyfriends any more, are they?"  
  
"I'm sorry, Buffy. Once upon a time there was a pretty princess called Buffy."  
  
"Donna? That story stopped working a long time ago."  
  
"I know. Does it still work at Dawn?" Buffy shook her head. "Ok, the occasion for the flowers? Our 1 and 2/3 week anniversary. Even Josh had trouble calling Sam a gomer after that."  
  
"He would," said Buffy dryly. "And the fact that Sam is his best friend, as well as yours, didn't stop him from, you know, calling him a gomer before the daisies?"  
  
"No, Josh had some really interesting points about Sam before that. The entire West Wing helped him, for once, as well. I now know every embarrassing thing my boyfriend has ever done."  
  
"I don't think harassing your employees is allowed in the work-place. But it's a sweet story. Something to tell your grandchildren." Buffy perked up her voice.  
  
"Grandma, grandma, how did you fall in love with grandpa?" She turned her voice into an old lady's voice.  
  
"Well, I worked with him, and watched him date other women, one was even a prostitute and then he gave me daisies after my boss had blackmailed him."  
  
"Josh did not blackmail him," Donna straightened her back indignantly. "He merely thought I should know every little bit of Sam's negative sides, so that he wouldn't end up disappointing me like all the others have."  
  
"I need Josh," Buffy decided. "Looks like he's really da man when it comes to sorting out people's personal relationships." Donna scoffed.  
  
"Everybody's but his own."  
  
"Yeah, yeah. The man fixed it so that you now know about everything embarrassing Sam has ever done. I think if someone had done that to me, then my relationships would probably have lasted longer." Buffy said, melancholy evident in her voice.  
  
"So, you and Riley didn't work out. There are plenty of other fish in the sea. No use in tying yourself down too soon."  
  
"Donna," Buffy raised an eyebrow. "The man jumped at the chance to go to one of the most dangerous places on the planet, to get away from me. Don't you think that says something?"  
  
"Only that he was a gomer, and you're better off without him."  
  
"Yeah," Buffy's voice squeaked a little. "I guess. So what's the most unappealing thing about Sammyboy?" Donna was quick to decide.  
  
"He played the clarinet, Buffy."  
  
"And, ms. "one time at band-camp" that's not appealing enough for you? So he had a slightly un-attractive habit that sounds a lot like half dead cats when he was younger. So what? Let me remind you of the fact that you played the flute."  
  
"So?"  
  
"Once upon a time there was a clarinet player and a flute player who took a cruise."  
  
"No, please Buffy. Not the joke."  
  
"The ship began to sink," Donna whimpered as Buffy continued. "And the clarinet player began to scream: 'Help, I can't swim.' The flutist patted his head. "Don't worry. Just fake it, I always do.' Is that what your relationship is like, Donna?"  
  
"I think I'm gonna go bake some Christmas cookies."  
  
"Was that a yes? Ooh, cookies." 


	8. Chapter 8

Title: Blood is thicker than ... blood?  
  
Author: Norwegianne  
  
Rating Pg-13 for innuendo, talk about sex etc. Nothing graphic.  
  
Disclaimer: Aaron Sorkin et al. own the West Wing, Joss Whedon et al. own Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Barbie is the trademark of Mattel, My Little Pony of the company that owns that trademark, which is not me, not at all.  
  
A little note: I honestly don't know whatever possessed me to write a Christmas fic, in June. It's not even snow outside.* rolls eyes* Just read, and tell me if you liked it, will you?  
  
Chapter 8. Sam wiped the sleep out of his eyes and left Barbie to wander downstairs. It was Christmas morning and he had survived, so far, his stay with his girlfriend's sisters. It was five past six in the morning and he'd been woken up three times before getting his carcass out of bed. Buffy had settled for merely knocking on his door, receiving only a grunt in response. Dawn had been inside and annoyed the crap out of him, by getting in the bed and jumping up and down on it, sometimes even on him. Donna had been the cruelest. She had used his weakness against him, and now he was unable to go back to sleep.  
  
When he got downstairs to the living room and the over-decorated Christmas tree it didn't surprise him to see the rest of the Scooby gang there as well, including a blond British guy and Buffy's mentor, Mr. Giles. He had no idea why Buffy would need a mentor, but he was too chicken to ask. He had no idea why Buffy and her friends had named themselves the Scooby gang either, but hey, when in Rome, do as the Romans.  
  
The blond was an even bigger mystery. They called him Spike, as in the Spike that Buffy wouldn't let the youngest Summers girl be alone with. Yet he was here with them, celebrating Christmas. Buffy together with Spike in the same room. It was almost like Josh inviting Mary Marsh to celebrate Hanukkah with him. Hell had surely frozen over. But Spike was friendly and easy to talk to; he could tell that Donna had been very impressed with his concern about Dawn. What was it with his girlfriend and British males? First Lord Marbury, now Spike and Mr. Giles. Should he begin to worry?  
  
"Merry Christmas, Samuel." The object of his affection plunked herself into his lap and proceeded to kiss him nearly senseless.  
  
"Merry Christmas, Donnatella."  
  
"If you two are finished with the exchange of bodily fluids? I want my presents." Anya was refreshing. She wouldn't have lasted a day in D.C, yet that was what was charming about her. She would speak out what she thought most of the time, without worrying about the consequences.  
  
"We're finished, for now."  
  
"Here is one. To the Bit from the Big Bad. Hey Dawnie, catch." Xander, for the occasion dressed in Santa Claus gear, tossed a tiny present to the brunette.  
  
"Spike, you shouldn't have." Dawn had been quick to unravel the gift-wrap, a disconcerting bloody red color and held up a very nice bracelet.  
  
"I know, I know. The Sl-Buffy told me several times that I couldn't get you a car, so I found this lying around, and thought of you." Sam leaned forward to whisper into Donna's ear.  
  
"He just found it lying around? Who is he, King Midas?"  
  
"Shush. If Buffy doesn't object to her getting jewelry from men, then I'm not going to. I don't spend enough time around here to tell her how to run their lives."  
  
The Xander Claus had unraveled another present from his sack.  
  
"To Donna, from the Bartlets." He tossed it to her.  
  
"The President and the First Lady bought you a present?" Willow was astounded.  
  
"The President and the First Lady of the USA bought you a present?" Anya found the need to specify even further.  
  
"Yeah," Donna wiggled a bit in her boyfriend's lap while unwrapping the gift extra carefully. "It's a book." She began to giggle. "The President and the First Lady bought me a book about the history of New Hampshire, look Sam. They even wrote me something." She held it open, so that he could read it.  
  
"Donnatella, we look forward to having you with us in Manchester again some day. Abbey and Jed."  
  
"How much do you want to bet that I'm going to get quizzed on it?" She whispered while the Xander Santa continued to give out presents to the rest of them. Dawn got "Artemis Fowl" from Buffy, Willow and Tara got things for their dorm room and Sam was surprised to see that he got a book of Nordahl Grieg's poetry about the sea, from the Bartlets.  
  
The big controversy of the morning, however, came when Buffy unwrapped her present from Mr. Giles. He had given her a broadsword, which she swung around with far too much ease for Sam's pleasure. "Thanks, Giles. You're the best. It's really sharp, my old one was getting blunt."  
  
"Ah, well. If you learned how to take proper care of it, it wouldn't go blunt, now would it?" The man smiled embarrassed at the rest of them as Buffy swung it around some more. Finally she went over to a chest standing next to the sofa. When she opened it, Donna freaked.  
  
"Buffy, you have like dozens of various weapons down there. How did you get a permit for them? Does it have anything with you burning down the gym at Hemery?" She got out of Sam's lap.  
  
"I need permit for them, Giles?" Buffy turned to her mentor. "I need a permit for my itty bitty very necessary swords, crossbows and." She turned back to the chest and rummaged through it. "Battle-axes?"  
  
Everybody crowded in to take a look at the weapons. "Buffy," Donna said, sounding almost in tears.  
  
"Buffy," Sam squeaked after he looked into the chest. "You're not, republican, are you?" He stepped back, and went over to sit safely on the couch.  
  
"Buffy?" Mr. Giles sounded disappointed in her. Good, Donna thought. Give her a lecture on why weapons are not safe. "I am very disappointed in you. It's no wonder your weapons get blunt when you leave them mangled together like this. They must be cared for, like babies."  
  
"Eh, Buffster. I don't mean to pry, but where is that nifty little rocket launcher we used to take out the Judge with?"  
  
"Xander, not now." Buffy let the lid of the chest fall down with a bang. "Look, Donna. I'm sorry you had to find out like this, but I'm the V." Dawn wouldn't let her finish.  
  
"Winner of the Sunnydale Fencing Competition this year. Giles taught her everything she knows." Willow sensed a way out.  
  
"Yeah, she leaves everybody hanging in the dust." Spike rolled his eyes and wished for a quick escape and a cigarette. As usual his wishes weren't fulfilled.  
  
"Quit it. I want to tell the truth. Donna deserves the truth. I honestly don't know why I haven't told her sooner. Or why Mom didn't?" Buffy turned around to face them all. "This is not the ideal way to do this. Hell, I'm not sure if there is an ideal way." She dragged a hand through her hair. "Donna, Sam. In every generation there is a Chosen One." 


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: The final chapter in this round. I'm writing a prequel to this, as well as a sequel. I honestly don't know when they'll be up, but I'm writing as fast as I can in between summer sun, work and other essential things.  
  
Thanks to all reviewers, it would still be a story without you, but not nearly as much fun.  
  
Chapter 9.  
  
Donna let Sam drive when they left a Sunnydale bathed in sunlight two days later. It seemed like the epitome of tranquility. "I still can't believe it," she murmured. "Sunnydale always seemed like the typical Californian small town, sunny all the time and close to a beach. And now I'm figuring out that not everything is the way it seems. I mean, Sam," she glanced at the "You are now leaving Sunnydale" sign. "Would you ever have figured vampires and demons for real?"  
  
"Well, I've always had some nasty suspicions about Mary Marsh," he grinned. "But no. Not really. And your sister fights them on a daily basis in addition to attending college." He was no less awed today than he had been after he'd got over the initial shock when she'd told them.  
  
"Yes," she sighed. "We talked. She can't leave Sunnydale, for a long period of time. Did you know she got accepted to Northwestern? I studied hard in High School, she didn't. Her SAT scores were 1430. And she can't leave Sunnydale."  
  
"I know. The upside has got to be that there would be no world for us to be together in if Buffy had left Sunnydale to go to college." He looked blankly at the road. "It's not like she can't ever leave either. She'll just be back in time for the apocalypse."  
  
"We talked about Dawn. She's been having trouble at school since Mom died. It doesn't help that Dad is out of the country most of the time either."  
  
"Wait," Sam looked troubled. "You're not planning on quitting your job and moving to Sunnydale to take care of her? Are you?"  
  
"I would have, if I thought I could get a job that wouldn't include saying: 'Do you want fries with that?' Besides, I like Washington. It has the President, politics, the joys of working at the White House and of course there is always you." She smiled at him, and he smiled back.  
  
"So, what are you going to do then?"  
  
"Depends on what Dawnie wants. The Social Services have been murmuring that Buffy isn't old enough to take properly care of Dawn, but if she wants to stay in Sunnydale then I'll do my best to make that happen. Another option, that Buffy's talking to Dawn about soon is that she comes to Washington to live with me and starts the second semester of school there or come after its. But Dawnie's got to decide."  
  
"Your schedule wouldn't be horribly overfilled with work and me already?" She grinned at the teasing tone in his voice. When they'd first begun dating he'd been weary of using it, having burnt himself on it several times.  
  
"Nah, I'll just skip the sleep in favor of my Sam-time."  
  
"Oh, that's alright then."  
  
And laughing they drove into the sunset. 


End file.
